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Bury 2 Morecambe 1

Dave Lawrenson
28/ 8/2008

BURY’S fans are in dreamland after a hard fought home win capped off the Shakers’ best start to a season for 51 years.

They have now won three games out of three and are sitting pretty as joint leaders of League Two.

But Bury were by no means at their best in their comeback win on Saturday and they needed an outrageous own goal to come out on top.

David Artell fired Elliott Bennett’s 30th minute low cross into the top corner of Morecambe’s goal when under little pressure inside his own box.

But there was nothing lucky about the way that Bury held on to their 2-1 advantage.

Bury looked as solid as a rock as they continually thwarted Morecambe’s attempts to get back into the game.

The Shakers, who also beat Morecambe 2-1 at home last season, defended extremely well after falling behind to a 14th minute Rene Howe goal.

They also had the lions’ share of possession and twice as many shots on target as their opponents.

But you had to feel sorry for Howe following his inspirational performance up front for Morecambe.

Bury boss Alan Knill identified the on-loan livewire as Morecambe’s dangerman in the build up to the game.

And Howe lived up to his billing by giving Bury centre backs Efe Sodje and Ben Futcher a torrid afternoon.

He poked the ball past Bury keeper Wayne Brown after Futcher had switched off from a corner.

And he came agonisingly close to scoring a second goal on 54 minutes when Brown turned his powerful low shot around the post at full stretch.

Bury skipper Paul Scott equalised Howe’s early goal on 19 minutes, rising highest to plant an inswinging Brian Barry-Murphy corner plum in the centre of Morecambe’s goal.

And after Artell’s aberration, substitute Danny Racchi threatened to put Bury 3-1 ahead only for Morecambe keeper Barry Roche to keep out his stinging second half drive.

Roche was also on hand to save two Andy Bishop efforts – a 69th minute close range header and a powerful shot in the dying seconds.

Star striker Bishop returned from a thigh injury to replace Glynn Hurst up front in the only change to the Bury side that won at Cheltenham the previous weekend.

Team: Brown, Scott, Futcher, Sodje, Buchanan, Bennett (Racchi, 65mins), Dawson, Barry-Murphy, Jones, Morrell (Hurst, 75mins), Bishop. Subs not used: Cresswell, Baker, Belford. Goals: Scott (19mins), Artell (own goal, 30mins). Attendance: 2,679.